If you’ve got the right tools, managing your time is a whole lot easier.“Be more organized” is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions, but it’s hard to follow through with that unless you’ve got the right tools — the most important one being a good planner.
While some people have favorite planners and calendars they turn to year after year, others are always in search of something that might work just a little better than what they’ve tried before. To that end, Aleteia polled a few staffers and friends for some favorite calendars and planners to get 2018 started off right. Got a favorite you swear by? Please let us know in the comments!
The Happiness Planner
Rather than focusing on productivity, The Happiness Planner focuses on positive thinking and goal-setting. Its makers say it was designed to “help you cultivate happiness and foster personal growth by embracing the power of positive thinking, mindfulness, gratitude, and self-development. The focus is on making each day a positive experience, building introspection into your routine and increasing self-awareness.” Also, it comes in pretty colors.
The Blessed Is She Planner
For the busy woman who wants to integrate her spiritual goals and practice with everything else, the Blessed Is She liturgical planner gets high marks. We love the slots for “Today I will …” (that’s where your resolution from your Daily Examen can go) and the “I’m grateful for …” As we’ve said various times this year here at Aleteia, the importance of gratitude cannot be underestimated for your spiritual and physical health. The month tabs are handy and the lovely fonts make you want to plan your week! There are even reminders for novena start dates. Be aware, though: this is a big book — definitely not something you’ll slip into a small purse and take along to the grocery store. One suggestion for Blessed Is She for 2019: Start the planner with Advent — the Church’s New Year — when many of us liturgically-minded folks are ready to dive into some new resolutions and goals.
The 2018 Saints Calendar & 16 Month Daily Planner
The 2018 Saints Calendar and Planner by TAN Books remains a favorite for Catholics who want to be reminded of special feasts and traditions. The popular calendar and planner comes in a spiral-bound design and covers 16 months. It includes the liturgical year for both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Calendar, and features traditional artwork.
The 2018 Monologue Small Dates Weekly Diary Planner
This small Monologue planner is definitely one for the purse or school bag. A simple way to track appointments and commitments, it will help you keep up with your daily and weekly appointments in style.
The Journal Planner
The Journal Planner, put out by Poketo, is a way to organize your schedule, keep track of your goals, and journal all in one. There are blank, half-lined, and graph pages in this one and the makers call it “the perfect personal assistant.”
The Simplified Planner
A lot of people love the Simplified Planner by Emily Ley, which comes in a range of cover designs and has all the basics you need to keep your schedule on track.
The Moleskine 18 Month Daily Planner
Classic planners are classics for a reason. This Moleskine hard covered planner includes a ribbon page marker, an inner pocket and some fun stickers. The left page includes a weekly calendar with enough room for short reminders of your to-dos of the day. The right one is free for you to doodle, sketch, or write notes at will. Light, handy, classy and right to the point.
Do-it-yourself options …
And for those who just want a want a blank canvas of sorts to design their own planner — such as the “Bullet Journal” — there are many options to choose from. Check out these attractive journals from Paper Blanks, or stick with something simple and contemporary like a Leuchtturm.
Read more:
3 Apps that can help you keep your New Year’s resolutions
